


A Turn for the Better

by blue_lazurite



Category: Hilda (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, basically me looking at the ghost ep and going 'is anyone gonna make that gay', in which these two have a slightly better time than everyone else in that episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27443587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_lazurite/pseuds/blue_lazurite
Summary: When Hilda and her friends ask for help bringing back a ghost, the librarian thinks nothing of it. Later that night however, she gets an unexpected visitor.
Relationships: Johanna | Hilda's Mum/The Librarian (Hilda)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apparently I have a niche and it’s hilda’s antics accidentally getting these two nerds together  
> so anyway *crawls out from under rock to post this*

_Just one more stack and you can go home._

That was what Maven had told herself, hours ago. But it was now well past the library’s closing time, and she was still perched halfway up a ladder, holding onto an armful of books and peering at the covers as she tried to put them back into the right place.

The library had been left a complete mess, leaving her the choice between taking care of it now or letting it be a problem for herself tomorrow, which was only marginally less appealing. Normally re-shelving was something Maven quite enjoyed, some time to herself on her job which gave her space to think. Not so much when it was already dark outside, the walk home looking less pleasant by the hour, and she would rather be asleep.

Maven let out a breath as she slotted the last book onto the shelf, glancing down at the pile left at the base of the ladder. _Okay, now one more stack_. She didn’t know why she’d believed herself to begin with.

Sighing, she climbed down, picked up the next book, and almost jumped out of her skin as a clattering sound cut through the air. Maven whipped round in alarm, finally laying eyes on the door as the source of the noise. A frown appeared on her face and she weighed the book in her hand, deliberating, before dropping it and going over to take a look. It was several hours past closing time, and it was almost pitch black outside. No one could be that desperate for a book.

Once she’d unlocked the door and pulled it open, Maven had to blink a few times to register what she was seeing. Her eyes were starting to sting from tiredness, and even though she knew someone must be at the door, it was still surprising to see anyone there. She'd guessed maybe some kid had seen that the lights were still on inside and decided to play a joke. What she hadn’t expected was to find herself face to face with a woman who looked a couple years older than her, with light brown curls that fell almost to her shoulders. She was hugging a trench coat around herself and looking at Maven anxiously.

“Are you the librarian?”

Briefly Maven wondered what on earth this woman thought she was doing there. “I am,” she said wearily. “But the library is closed right now, you’ll have to come back tomorr-”

She had been reaching for the door to close it, but the woman’s hand flew to the handle, holding it open. “I know, and I’m very sorry to disturb you,” she said quickly, and Maven was surprised to hear a note of panic in her voice. “But I’m not here for a book. I’m looking for my daughter.”

The librarian blinked, nonplussed. She glanced over her shoulder at the empty library. “I don’t think your daughter is here, miss.”

For a moment the woman looked disappointed, but she pushed on. “I think you might know where she is, though.” She looked at Maven pleadingly.

Maven was about to object, to point out that dozens of children visited the library every day, and she barely knew any of them, much less where they might run off to. But looking at the woman, it was clear this was important to her. The thought of turning her away, when she looked so desperate, was more than Maven could stand.

That last stack of books would have to wait. She sighed and stood back from the door. “Would you like to come in?”

***

Maven lead the way back to her desk, followed by the woman, who had quickly introduced herself as Johanna.

“I was working late, and I went to check on her and she was just - gone,” she was saying fretfully. “No explanation, nothing - she didn’t even take Twig with her.”

“I see,” Maven said, wondering if she was supposed to know who or what ‘twig’ was. She lifted a pile of books off of a chair and gestured for her companion to take a seat, settling herself behind her desk.

“I understand you must be worried,” she said sympathetically, “But what makes you think I would know where she is?”

Johanna sat down on the seat she had offered and looked at her warily.

“...Don’t take this the wrong way,” she said carefully, “but every time something happens, it seems to start with you.”

Before Maven could question what that meant, she had pulled a book out of her bag and set it down in front of her. “I think these are yours.”

Raising an eyebrow, Maven looked at the book in front of her and recognised it instantly as one from the library. _Tales of the Marra_. As if to add insult to injury, a sheet of paper that looked strangely familiar was tucked inside the book’s cover. Maven felt something die inside her as she recognised it as a page from one of her own spellbooks - one that should never have left the library.

“...What did you say your daughter’s name is?” Maven asked slowly, although she was now fairly certain she knew exactly who this woman was looking for.

“Hilda,” Johanna said quickly. “Blue hair, about this tall -“

Maven closed her eyes and slowly put her head in her hand. “I thought so.”

“You do know her?” Johanna questioned.

“She was here earlier today,” Maven explained, looking up as the memory returned to her. “She’s fine, she was looking for advice about -“

Seeing the apprehension on Johanna’s face, she hesitated. She wasn’t sure she knew how to break it to this woman that her daughter was out raising the dead.

She was starting to have second thoughts on whether to tell Johanna at all, having no desire to interfere with whatever Hilda was up to. But looking at her, Maven didn’t think she seemed particularly angry or upset. She just looked...worried, and tired. Like someone who just wanted to know that their daughter was safe.

Maven took a deep breath. “She wanted advice about summoning ghosts. I expect that’s what she’s out doing now,” she said, as casually as possible. It didn’t stop Johanna from looking positively horrified. 

“Why - why on Earth would she want to do that?” 

Maven picked up _Tales of the Marra_ and got up, looking for somewhere to re-shelve it. “A ghost took something from one of her friends, I think,” she said, trying to recall. “She wanted to get it back.”

She strode over to one of the bookcases. Johanna got out of her seat to follow her.

“Oh. That’s - quite thoughtful, actually.”

Maven smiled to herself, amused by her sudden shift in tone.

“So - you know where she might be?” Johanna prompted.

“Oh, yes,” Maven said, putting the book into its place. “She’ll be at St. Guglows Cemetery.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. Is that everything you wanted to know?”

Johanna didn’t seem to like her answer much, but nodded gratefully. “Yes, thank you. I mean – ” she gave a wry smile “- unless you know where the exact grave she was looking for is too.”

Maven opened her mouth to reply, and Johanna’s eyes widened. “You _do_?”

“No,” Maven lied quickly. “Nevermind.”

Heat rushed to her face and she turned on her heel, heading back to her desk. “I’m glad I could help you. Close the door on your way out, please.”

“Wait – ”

A hand closed around Maven’s wrist, making her jump. Turning around, she saw Johanna swiftly let go, looking apologetic. “Sorry,” she said quickly. “But I need you to come with me. To find Hilda.”

Maven stared at the woman, sure she must have misheard. “I’m sorry?”

“You know more about this than I do,” Johanna insisted, looking at her pleadingly. “If anything happens -“

“Hilda will be fine,” Maven said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “Besides, I doubt I’ll be able to do much to help, anyway.”

“Maybe not,” Johanna conceded. “...but it would make me feel better if you were there.”

Maven frowned but gave no reply, absent-mindedly holding her hand where the other woman had touched her.

“I know it’s a lot to ask but...please?”

Maven held in a sigh, sensing that her chances of getting home anytime soon were rapidly slipping away. A small part of her was nagging at her to leave things alone, to refuse to get further involved, but something was making her feel as if saying no wasn’t an option. The way Johanna was looking at her was hardly helping.

Come to think of it, she was fairly sure it wasn’t lost on the woman that Maven was the sole reason her daughter was at a graveyard instead of at home; she was just too polite to say it. Even if Hilda wasn’t in any danger, it would be good to make sure things were alright, for the girl’s mother’s sake. Not that she particularly cared what Johanna seemed to think of her, or anything.

“...Alright,” she said grudgingly, though it was a struggle to keep her face straight when Johanna all but beamed at her in response. “But this better not -“ she caught Johanna’s eye and stopped herself, choosing her words again carefully. “Hopefully this doesn’t take too long.”

“Oh, it won’t,” Johanna insisted. She still looked anxious, but she smiled at Maven nevertheless as she headed to the door. “After this, I’ll never bother you again, I promise.”

“...Right,” Maven replied, caught off guard as the comment set off an entirely different emotion than she’d been expecting. “That’s - okay,” she said, telling herself to get a grip. She just had to get to the graveyard, point out that everything was fine, which she already knew, and go home before getting tangled up in anyone else’s business. Simple. Maven sighed and followed the woman to the door.

“Let’s just get this over with.” She gestured for Johanna to lead the way, figuring she might as well wave any plans she’d had for the night goodbye. She already had a feeling this wasn’t going to be as straightforward as she hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love arbitrarily splitting my fics into tiny chapters :')


	2. Chapter 2

Maven began to regret being won over so easily as she took in the darkened street, the chill autumn air stinging at her exposed skin. She had been right. The walk home _was_ going to be unpleasant. Luckily, the cemetery was closer to the library than her apartment was. She looked around at the empty street for a moment, and was surprised when Johanna set off ahead of her, seemingly completely sure of where they were going. Maven quickly caught up, glancing sideways at her as they walked.

“...What are you hoping to achieve by going to the cemetery, anyway?” she asked, earning a look of incredulity from Johanna.

“I can’t – I can’t just go home and pretend everything’s fine – what if something’s gone wrong?” she said nervously. “If it’s anything like what happened last time...” her voice trailed off, and for a moment it seemed to Maven that her thoughts were somewhere else. After a second she seemed to come back to herself. “I need to make sure she’s okay,” she said. “...I just wish she’d told me.”

Maven gave no comment. She remembered sneaking out plenty of times as a child, often _because_ of her parents, and she had to remind herself not to let that sway her. She hadn't known Johanna for all that long but still, she didn’t strike her as that kind of person.

She gave a noncommittal shrug. “I would leave her to it. I think you worry too much, if you ask me.”

Johanna looked at her disbelievingly. “How can I not? You don’t know the half of what’s happened since we moved here.”

Maven thought back to the enchantment she had found tucked into the book Johanna had returned, thinking that she had a pretty good idea. She let the silence stay as they walked, opting not to give Johanna one more thing to hold against her. It wasn’t as if she’d _meant_ for Hilda to copy one of her spells.

“I wish you hadn’t told her,” Johanna said quietly. “About – raising the dead, or whatever it is.”

“I didn’t tell her,” Maven replied evenly. “I gave her a book with everything she needed to know.”

“That’s – that’s worse, actually,” Johanna said. “Didn’t you even wonder if her parents knew?”

Maven shrugged, looking at the street as they passed by. “It’s none of my business.”

“But it...it is your business,” Johanna reasoned, growing more agitated. “None of what’s happened – she wouldn’t be out here if it weren’t for - ”

The woman stopped herself, catching sight of Maven, who narrowed her eyes. She was tempted to point out that _she_ wouldn’t be out here if it weren’t for Johanna, when she felt something ice cold run down the back of her neck.

Maven drew a sharp breath, wincing as another drop of water hit her. In unison, she and Johanna both stopped and looked up at the sky, the exact same thought on their minds. Sure enough, within seconds rain was pelting down around them.

“Wonderful,” Maven muttered to herself, crossing her arms as the rain soaked through her hair. Even the weather spirits were conspiring to ruin her night.

She caught sight of Johanna, who was looking around fretfully. “Come on,” she said, turning back to Maven and gesturing towards a tree at the side of the road. “We should wait until it stops.”

Maven followed her to the tree, letting out a sigh of relief as she stepped under its branches. The rain had already soaked through her clothes partly and she hunched her shoulders, trying to rub some warmth back into her arms.

It was a moment before she realised Johanna was looking at her, with an entirely changed expression.

“You’re cold,” she said.

Maven shifted uncomfortably at the sudden attention, letting her arms fall to her sides. “I’m fine,” she said. As if to spite her, a shiver ran down her spine and she shuddered.

“Nonsense, you’re freezing,” Johanna said worriedly. “Don’t you have anything else you can wear?”

The longer Maven stood there, the more she felt the cold wear down her patience. “I did,” she said, thinking longingly of her cloak which was still draped over a chair back at the library. “But you were in a bit of a hurry.”

Her voice came out more bitter than she had meant it to, and one look at Johanna confirmed that the tone wasn’t lost on her. Feeling slightly guilty, Maven moved her gaze to the street, preferring to watch the rain than see the hurt her careless words had caused.

A few seconds passed before she sensed movement beside her, and turned to see Johanna pulling off her coat and holding it out to her. “Here.”

“Oh -” Maven startled. “No, I’m fine, really.”

“I dragged you out here,” Johanna insisted. “It’s only fair.”

Maven hesitated, less than thrilled that she’d guilt-tripped the woman into giving up her coat for her.

“You should keep it,” she said quickly, feeling more flustered by the second. “It’s not really my style, anyway.”

Johanna raised an eyebrow. “It’s the middle of the night and you’re freezing,” she pointed out. “Take it.”

Feeling her own body heat rapidly departing, Maven hardly had the willpower to refuse. She reluctantly took the coat from her, giving a small start when Johanna’s fingers brushed against hers, and pulled it on. The sudden warmth that flowed through her made her breathe a sigh of relief. Aware of Johanna’s eyes on her, she did her best not to look too happy about it.

“You’re not cold?” She asked her.

Johanna gave a weak smile. “I’ll manage. You can give it back to me later. I just couldn’t stand seeing you freeze a moment longer.”

Maven nodded, drawing the coat in tighter around herself and listening to the rain as it cascaded down around them. “...Thank you.”

She caught sight of a bench at the base of the tree and lowered herself onto it, figuring she might as well rest while she had the chance. The rain showed no sign of letting up anytime soon. She guessed Johanna had come to a similar conclusion, because a second later, she had sat down at the opposite end of the bench. Silence fell between them, as they both sat watching the rain.

After a moment Maven glanced sideways at Johanna. To her relief she didn’t look cold, but she was watching the dark sky intently, her shoulders tense. Maven’s heart sank a little as she realised how worried she seemed. She looked almost as if she was considering braving the rain herself; it occurred to Maven that it was likely only for her sake that the woman wasn’t suggesting it.

“...I know you must be scared for her,” Maven said slowly, feeling slightly put upon when Johanna turned to face her. “But Hilda will be fine, I’m sure of it. Ghosts aren’t really dangerous.”

To Maven’s chagrin, her words seemed to have the opposite of their intended effect.

“Aren’t _really_ dangerous?” Johanna asked, looking apprehensive.

Luckily she was spared having to elaborate as Johanna continued, “But it’s – it’s not just that. She shouldn’t be out at night all by herself, it’s just not safe. If another troll found its way into the city...”

In spite of herself, Maven’s eyes widened. _Another_ troll. The City Patrol had certainly kept _that_ quiet. Instinctively she looked over her shoulder at the empty street, feeling faintly stupid afterwards.

“Okay,” she said, deciding that raising more questions wasn’t going to help her or Johanna right now. “The point is, I wouldn’t worry so much about her. Didn’t you ever run off by yourself as a kid?”

“No...” Johanna replied, frowning slightly.

“Oh. That must have been quite dull,” Maven said without thinking.

“Well, I never felt the need to go and – chat with spirits, or raise the dead,” Johanna said, giving Maven the impression she had touched a nerve. “And my parents trusted me.”

“You don’t trust her?” Maven countered.

Johanna looked at her, hurt, and she regretted her words instantly. Johanna turned her gaze back to the rain.

“Of course I do,” she said quietly. “But you don’t understand - you don’t know what it’s been like. These kinds of things just...follow us around. And it’s not like _I’ve_ ever been much good at dealing with them, even though I should be.” She sighed, hugging her arms.

“...You saw that page I found, that - spell?” she glanced at Maven, who nodded slowly.

“Hilda used it on me and one of her friends. She didn’t _know_ , obviously, and we did manage to stop it...But that was - awful. I was terrified. I was scared but...I was scared more by the thought that if anything happened to me, Hilda would be left alone. And she’d have to live with what - that enchantment - had done. I know you can’t think much of me as a parent right now, but I know my daughter. She’ll do anything to help people, she’s always trying to _fix_ everything - what if she gets in over her head?”

Maven listened in silence, at a complete loss. Thoughts were crowding in her head - mostly that leaving a child unattended with her spellbooks hadn’t been among her best ideas. She was regretting even questioning Johanna’s worrying. It was starting to look reasonable when she put it like that.

“Then...you’ll just have to trust that she’ll come to you for help when she needs it, I suppose.”

Johanna looked at her searchingly, and Maven hesitated. Normally she would be inclined to leave it at that and keep her thoughts to herself. Generally speaking she wasn’t good with words unless they were written on a page. But something was making her determined to get them out.

“Look,” she said. “It’s nice that you want to protect her, but sometimes you just can’t. She’s a smart girl. She always comes out of things okay, as far as I can tell,” she reasoned. “You could give her a little more credit for that. It's not like she's not the only one who seems intent on looking out for the people she cares about," she added, feeling her heart skip a beat as Johanna glanced her way and smiled.

“...And for what it’s worth, I think you must be doing an okay job at parenting – Hilda must think so if she was willing to use that spell on you. I mean, before she found out what it was actually for,” she added hastily. She realised she had long stopped shivering, and instinctively looked down at the coat she was wearing. “...You seem like a very caring person. The world could do with more people like that.”

She looked back to Johanna, who, she realised with a jolt, had been looking at her the entire time. As soon as Maven met her eye she blinked and looked away.

“Okay...” Johanna slowly drew in a breath and sighed, seemingly deep in thought. “...Thank you.”

Maven nodded awkwardly, feeling that far more words had come out of her mouth than she had bargained for. Though seeing the worry start to fade from Johanna’s face, she couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit pleased with herself.

After a moment Johanna seemed to come back to herself. She turned to Maven and offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this,” she said, gesturing awkwardly to the downpour. “You could be at home right now; I’ve completely ruined your night.”

“It’s alright,” Maven reassured her, thinking that all she’d had planned for the night was getting home and falling asleep. She wasn't about to admit it, but it seemed Johanna’s intervention might have actually been an improvement. “Believe it or not, I’ve had worse nights than this.”

“You’re not the only one,” Johanna said darkly. Maven chuckled, until she realised she was probably responsible for a couple of them.

“...You’re not from here, are you?” she asked curiously. When Johanna looked confused, she explained, “Not many people around here would be so calm about things like magic and ghosts.”

“Oh, trust me, I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of that,” Johanna replied, shaking her head. “But we did live outside the city before this. After the first few run-ins with trolls and the like, it’s harder to be too surprised, I suppose.”

Maven smiled wryly. “I think I can see why you moved here, then,” she said. “I can’t imagine you would miss that much.”

Johanna was quiet for a moment. “Sometimes, I do,” Her face fell, and Maven direly regretted asking. “But...moving away wasn’t so bad. Living out in the middle of nowhere...it was pretty solitary, actually. There are parts that I don’t miss.” She met Maven's eye and smiled warmly. “And...there are things that make me glad I had to come back.”

Maven could do nothing but return her gaze, all coherent thoughts having flown from her mind.

Suddenly Johanna looked at the street, then up at the sky. “Oh. The rain...”

Maven blinked, coming back to reality. Reluctantly she followed her gaze, coming to the same conclusion. The rain had stopped. Unsure of what to do with herself, she nervously cleared her throat and got to her feet.

“I suppose we should get going,” she said, hoping that it was still dark enough to hide the pink that had risen in her cheeks. She looked over her shoulder at Johanna, and was surprised to see the woman looked uncertain.

“Having second thoughts?” Maven asked her.

“...Sort of,” Johanna deliberated. She glanced at the librarian and sighed. “You might have a point. About worrying too much. I doubt Hilda would thank me for trying to get involved in all this.”

Maven smiled in amusement. It didn’t go unnoticed by Johanna, who folded her arms. “ _Might_ have a point,” she clarified.

"Alright," Maven shrugged. "I’ll take what I can get.”

But looking at Johanna, she was sure she could see the woman’s mouth curling into a smile.

“But...you’re sure she’ll be alright? I’m not sure I trust this whole...ghost...thing.”

“I’m sure,” Maven smiled reassuringly. “I’ve met ghosts, and trust me, the last thing they want is more company.”

To her surprise, Johanna seemed to believe her.

“I suppose I really did waste your entire night, then," she said regretfully.

“Ah, walking aimlessly around Trolberg in the early hours is how I like to spend my time anyway,” Maven deadpanned, making Johanna raise her eyebrows in shock before letting out a laugh.

She looked at Maven warmly, pressing a hand over her mouth as her shoulders shook.

“Well, we can’t just keep standing here...” she said slowly. “So what now?”

The question caught Maven unprepared. She hadn't expected Johanna to actually listen to her - or to be enjoying the woman's company that much. Now that she was on her feet again, she was aching to get back to her own apartment and collapse onto her bed, or anything for that matter, but she was starting to feel as if that could wait. She spoke before she could feel embarrassed or change her mind.

“How about I walk you home?”

***

It was almost starting to get light by the time they reached Johanna’s road. It had taken longer than usual to find, partially because it was dark, and partially because they kept getting distracted. 

Johanna had cheered up since they’d started heading back, and despite feeling ready to crash at any moment Maven was finding it surprisingly easy to talk to her. Once or twice, they’d been so busy talking that they had managed to walk straight past one of the turnings to Johanna’s flat, only to realise moments later and have to retrace their steps. Johanna had apologised earnestly each time, to Maven’s growing amusement; she couldn’t bring herself to mind in the slightest. She was almost disappointed when they came to a stop in front of a red block of flats, and she realised the night had come to an end.

“Here we are,” Johanna said, walking to up to the door and pausing on the step. “Are...are you sure you wouldn’t like to come in for a minute?”

For a moment Maven was tempted, before she remembered herself and thought better of it. It was beginning to dawn on her that she’d have to start work in a few hours, and she’d all but thrown away an entire night’s sleep. She needed to get home and rest before she crashed completely.

“I’d better head home, thanks.”

A beat of silence passed as they looked at each-other, before Maven realised with a start that she was still wearing Johanna’s coat.

“Ah, you’d better take this back...” she folded the coat and handed it over, feeling vaguely disappointed as she did so. Wearing it had been strangely comforting, in a way that had very little to do with the cold.

“Well...” Maven awkwardly took a step back. “Goodnight...or, morning, I suppose.”

Johanna smiled. “Goodnight, Maven. Thank you, again.”

She reached for the door handle and hesitated, glancing back at her.

“Um. Just, just hang on a minute.”

Maven watched, confused, as the woman fished a notebook out of her bag and scribbled something down, before tearing out the page and handing it to her. 

“Here.”

Maven took the paper and squinted at it uncomprehendingly. She was so tired that it took a minute for her to even recognise the writing was a phone number. Faintly bewildered, she looked between it and Johanna, who seemed to be blushing.

“You know, in case...In case you’d like to meet again under...better circumstances.”

Maven blinked. “Oh. Right.”

Before she could think to say anything else, Johanna had thanked her again and said goodbye, stepping inside, and she was left alone with her own bemusement.

It wasn’t until she had turned away, ready to head home, that Maven looked at the paper again and comprehension struck her like a tidal wave. Immediately she groaned and pressed her hands to her face, which was burning like a thousand suns, cursing how oblivious she must have looked. _Brilliant, Maven_ , she thought ruefully. _You’d better hope Johanna likes morons_.

Taking a deep breath, she slipped the number into her pocket and started the walk home. Within seconds her mortification gave way to delight, forcing her to hide a grin behind her hands. Before the street was out of sight she looked over her shoulder at the flat, wondering what it was she had done to make Johanna want to see her again.

 _Better circumstances_ , Johanna had said. Maven couldn’t wait to see what the other woman had in mind. She was exhausted, and knew with absolute certainty that she would be paying the price for the next few days at least. She'd never even finished that damn pile of books. And still, at that moment, she couldn’t think of anything that was better than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't til I finished this that I realised I never actually had maven introduce herself?? I mean she definitely did at some point but I like to think that Johanna 🤝 half the hilda fandom – falling for the librarian without even knowing what her name is
> 
> This fic only exists bc I found a WIP I'd forgotten about months ago and decided that maybe I was kind of onto something with it...also this had _no right_ to be this long but in my defense I got carried away :') I hope y'all liked it, anyway


End file.
